1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to container inner seals, and, more specifically, to inner seals having a stiffening structure which promotes ease of removal by allowing the user to loosen or remove the inner seal by flicking an overhanging portion with a finger or by retaining a portion of the seal in the closure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In view of the need for airtight inner seals on containers for food, medicine, and the like, closures have been developed which incorporate an inner seal bonded with a sealant to an upper rim of a container rim (i.e., the landing area of the container neck). Traditional inner seals typically have an integral pull tab to grip to facilitate removal of the inner seal, or no pull tab at all, forcing the user to resort to sharp objects to scrape, puncture, or break the inner seal. These traditional inner seals thus have numerous shortcomings. Although inner seals having integral tab portions are designed for gripping, end users—particularly the elderly—may find it difficult forming the required thumb and forefinger connection to pinch and pull the tab of the inner seal up and away form the upper container rim. Scraping or puncturing the inner seal with sharp objects such as knives can be dangerous to the end user. Therefore, there is a need for inner seals which are easily removed by the end user, particularly those who cannot pinch and pull a tab, and that do not require sharp and dangerous objects to puncture the inner seal.